Where Angels Hide
by Rum-and-Nuka
Summary: Five years after the Courier unexpectedly gave birth to Benny's child she disappeared into the wasteland without explanation. Benny raised their daughter Marilyn alone within the safety of the Lucky 38 until another seven years pass, and twelve year old Marilyn begins to question what happened to her mother. As she searches Marilyn quickly learns how painful the truth can be.
1. Chapter 1

The moment Marilyn woke up she remembered that she didn't belong there. As she lay among the warm blankets on the upper floor of the refurbished home, she was hit with that familiar two-by-four of reality that she knew so well. That reality struck her in her stomach and told her that this wasn't hers. The dark room with the cheerful photographs nailed carefully on the walls wasn't hers, the lovingly stitched quilt beneath her wasn't hers, the doting parents asleep in the other room weren't hers, even the bright sweater she wore in lieu of her own old shirt that she had arrived in was not hers.

None of this had ever or would ever belong to her. Without even being told or warned she knew automatically that it was time for her to go, like there was a clock installed inside her. Marilyn rolled on her side and studied her friend who was asleep on her bed a few feet away.

Her friends name was Nina, and she had her back to Marilyn as she slept. Even through the dark Marilyn could see her shiny black hair as it fell like water over her pillows. She remembered watching awkwardly at the door as her mother combed it earlier that night.

"I don't mean to be a bother." Marilyn had said as she waited for her friend to grace her with attention again.

Nina's mother had given her a gentle smile. "You're not a bother sweetie, you're practically family."

Even as she was told otherwise Marilyn knew she _was_ a bother. No matter how much extended love Nina's family gave her, she never shed that feeling in her chest that the time would always come for her to leave the inviting atmosphere and return to where she belonged.

Marilyn watched Nina's ribcage expand and deflate with each calm breath that she took. For a moment she considered waking her up to say goodbye, but then thought against it.

She knew her friend would let her leave without much argument, but she also knew that she shouldn't disturb someone's sleep.

Marilyn shifted out of the makeshift bed of blankets on the floor and folded each one as carefully and as quietly as she possibly could. She stacked each blanket lovingly in the corner and touched them longingly one last time. Her fingers traced over the beige stitches and the pink patterns and she wished that she could take one home. It was so bleak at home.

She crept out of the room and into the hallway, where lovely white plates with pale green trim sat proudly on shelves and more framed photographs dotted the walls. Marilyn wondered where they had even found a camera, they were so rare in the wasteland and her father always said they couldn't be found. A small stab of jealousy dug its way into her side.

Loud snoring came from the closed door at the end of the hall, and Marilyn knew it was Nina's father. He was always friendly to her, and he gave her a pat on the back each time he saw her that was a little painful. He didn't seem to be aware of his own strength, and each time they saw each other they'd carry out the same mantra.

"Hey sport!" He'd always belt when he saw her slip through the front door from behind Nina. "Long time no see!" He would bellow even if she had seen him yesterday.

"Your dad still wearing that ugly suit?" He'd ask with a boyish grin.

"Yes." She would answer politely as she always did each time he asked. She'd shift uncomfortably and glance at Nina, who would roll her eyes.

He would lean back and laugh a roaring laugh that hurt her ears and then he'd pat Nina's head with a grin. "That crazy Benny." He'd conclude.

Marilyn didn't know what that meant but she didn't particularly want to know.

She traced her hand over the wooden railing as she navigated her way down the stairs in the dark. It was the middle of the night, but still it was time to go and there was no changing that.

She passed the old comfy chairs and the long sofa on her way out. Marilyn glanced to the kitchen, where Nina's mother kept a couple pretty yellow glasses and made Marilyn food when she was hungry.

Marilyn grasped the handle to the front door and took in a breath. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting the calmness and quiet and love that was in the very air of the house flood her lungs. She held her breath and begged the feelings to stay there, to carry on within her and comfort her for when she returned home. She pleaded the happiness that lived here to stay with her, and not to leave her when she had to go and the world became lonely again.

She stepped out of the house, closed the door behind her silently, and began to walk down the road to the Strip. She stopped for a moment and looked back at the house where she knew a family slept happily, and she wished with all her heart she could stay forever. She gave the house one last glance and began walking again. Marilyn couldn't hold her breath any longer, and released the air she had been holding. With a rush of defeat she felt the sense of calm and happiness leave her as she began to breathe again.

Marilyn reached a hand up in the air to see if she could catch it, maybe just feel it against her palm, but it was gone.

She shivered and walked down the road leading to the Strip where a few houses now resided. Marilyn had heard it used to be rows of farms, but her father said different. He had told her that it used to be an awful and dangerous place before her mother changed it.

They used to take walks together past the new houses before her father had gotten worse. He would glare around the thriving town and shake his head disdainfully.

"Used to be nothin' but rats and bad news." Her father had muttered as he smoked a cigarette.

"I think it's nice." She had told him as she hurried to match his pace.

"Remind me to have your mother tell you what it used to be." He scoffed and blew out a stream of smoke that caught in the wind and blew in her face.

At the though of the memory Marilyn was reminded that she was glad her father didn't go on walks with her anymore.

Large robots with guns attached to their arms were stationed every few yards, and Marilyn tried not to look at their strange bright faces. She hurried her pace as she passed them, and soon she was standing before the big gate that would let her into the Vegas Strip.

The robot recognized her and allowed her to pass. As soon as it turned away she ran past it, her heart pumping in her ears. She had seen that robot turn people into ash for trying to get in before. Marilyn was always terrified she'd be next, even when her dad told her she wouldn't be.

As soon as she passed through the gate music blared from speakers and the bright lights of the casinos flooded her vision. Marilyn squinted into the loudness of it all and rubbed her sleep-blurred eyes. Drunken men in suits and women in pink dresses all stumbled about, and one knocked into Marilyn as she passed.

"Geez… they let kids in here now?" She asked with furrowed brows. She leaned down to Marilyn's height and squinted at her.

Marilyn could smell the alcohol on the woman's breath and she winced involuntarily at the closeness.

"Excuse me…" She murmured meekly and the woman turned to the man waiting behind her.

"Who lets kids in here? I don't want to see kids running around here." She slurred her words and Marilyn tried to slip past her but she was standing so close to her that she couldn't.

Marilyn held back a huff of frustration.

The woman strained to focus her eyes on Marilyn's face, staring at her like she was some kind of strange experiment.

The man behind her stepped forward and tried to grab the woman's arm. "Barb wait, leave her be."

She shrugged him off and he grasped for her again desperately.

"That's _his_ kid, Barb." He warned in a hushed tone.

The woman's eyes widened and she laughed a little. "What? No! You're that kid?" She grinned a crooked grin and stepped closer, invading Marilyn's space even more. "You ever hear that story about what happened to your mom?"

"Back off, pal."

As if on cue Marilyn saw her father standing a few yards away. He was smoking a cigarette on the stairs of the Lucky 38 tower where they lived. The lights undulated under his black polished shoes and his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

The pair straightened up and the man finally succeeded in pulling her back.

"She didn't mean anything by it." He began cautiously. Marilyn could still feel the woman's eyes on her and she didn't like it at all.

"You're bugging her, so you're bugging me. You don't wanna do that." Benny said evenly. "Now walk away before this gets ugly for you."

They rushed away and her father watched as she scurried toward him.

He regarded her silently for a moment before tossing his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it with his shoe.

Marilyn stared at the ground and watched the end of the cigarette flatten beneath him.

"I told you to not to be out at night." He said. A few casino-goers hooted from across the road and he glanced at them critically.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, still not looking up at him.

"If you're sleeping over at Nina's then you gotta stay there all night. No more running wild like this." He voice remained even, possibly even a little disinterested as he lit another cigarette.

"I couldn't sleep." Marilyn offered. There was no way for her to explain it to him, to make him understand that she couldn't mooch off another persons happiness for too long without feeling guilty.

"Doesn't matter. No being out at night." He demanded. She could feel his eyes on her, those dark steadfast eyes that always seemed so sure.

"I'm sorry." Marilyn repeated and he was silent for a moment.

"What did they say to you?" He asked.

"Nothing." She answered a little too quickly and he narrowed his eyes again.

"Marilyn." He warned and she glanced at him.

His slicked back hair was illuminated in the bright lights, making it look even darker then usual. He had a few light wrinkles at the sides of his eyes, and she could vaguely remember her mother running her finger across them with a grin.

She was quiet for a moment as she studied his eyes, and then she felt a burst of anger rise in her chest and she met his gaze for as long as she could stand.

"They asked me where my mom is." She answered defiantly.

At the mention of her mother his eyes went cold and she quickly regretted her words. Marilyn tore herself away from his eyes like they had burned her. She stared back down at her worn saddle shoes that her mother used to make her wear.

"It's just… they were just wondering…" She tried to backpedal but the words were already said.

Benny turned away from her, closing himself off as he always did when she was brought up. He raised his shoulders protectively and stared out at the lights. They flashed across his face in colors of blue and red.

"It's late, head on to your room." He said and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Worked me up in a frenzy when I saw you walking around out here alone."

Marilyn stood there for a moment sadly. "I'm sorry, dad." She mumbled and then made her ways up the steps and into the elevator that would take her high up to her room.

Once inside the elevator she leaned against the wall and wrapped her arms around herself tight. Marilyn closed her eyes as the elevator dinged its way up to the suites. It chimed once, twice, and then a third time and she opened her eyes. She stepped out of the elevator and into the silence.

The lights were dimmed as they always were, and the whole floor had a dead and stagnant feeling in the air that made Marilyn feel a bit like she was being suffocated.

Everything was different now from when her mother had lived with them. Everything was emptier, there were less songs being played, less joy and laughter, less food in the refrigerator.

She slipped past the room her parents had once shared and into her own room. It was different in her room than Nina's. It wasn't just the lack of soft blankets. The feeling stemmed from something that she didn't know how to articulate but she felt it all the way down to her core.

Yet, it was where she belonged, and Marilyn climbed into her bed and pulled the sheet up to her ears.

As she was beginning to doze off she heard the familiar ding of the elevator. She recognized the heavy footsteps, and didn't even have to peek out of the sheets to know it was her father.

She heard him sigh and slip off his shoes and as he began to walk to his room she stuck one eye out.

"I love you, dad." She said quietly out into the stagnant air.

She saw him stop and tense at her words. He stood there for a moment and just when she thought he wouldn't answer he rubbed the back of his neck and spoke.

"Yeah… you too, kid."


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours had gone by before Marilyn was hit with an unmistakable and unexplained feeling that something needed to be done, and once that emotion had dug its heels into her mind there was no getting it out.

She had remained in her room all day, drawing on the walls on the space behind her bed where her father wouldn't notice it. She had sketched the mountains she could see just over the billboards outside, and the birds she occasionally saw soaring overhead.

The feeling came while she was drawing the birds. Marilyn could almost feel the strength of their wings flapping against her neck, and she could just see their wide, black eyes as they opened their beaks and strained their throats to call out.

She could hear their calls loud and clear, like they were screaming right against her ear and it made her sit up in her bed abruptly.

Marilyn could feel the urgency of the birds flowing through her, but she didn't know where to direct it until she looked at the poster on her wall.

The poster was of a woman starring in some lavish movie before the war, and whenever Marilyn looked at it she saw her mother. She knew it wasn't her mother, but she could feel her in the woman's dazzling smile and bright mysterious eyes,

Something about those green eyes on her wall suddenly felt wrong. They seemed to widen before her and fill with terror, and Marilyn sat up hurriedly. She huffed in a frightened breath only to find that the stale and dead air of the Lucky 38 was unbearably thin.

The wings of the birds seemed to beat within the woman's eyes. That sense of urgency, the pushing and pulling was coming straight from her and Marilyn knew she needed to do something. She felt like her mother needed her help and she needed it now.

Marilyn left her room hurriedly and glanced into her fathers. All of her mother's things were still there, and she could guess that everything was just as she left it. She could see a pair of high heels on the floor beside a pair of her father's shoes and a tube of lipstick on the bedside table. Small dust particles caught in the low lighting of the floor as they fell to the ground, making the whole floor feel even emptier.

Marilyn turned back to the elevator. She had been planning on heading to the ground floor and looking for her father, his steadfast apathy was calming to her in a way, but her fingers fluttered over the control panel for a little longer. She had never been allowed to explore the tower, and her finger pressed against one of the buttons without thinking.

Nervousness flooded her mind as the button lit up, but she thought of the woman's eyes again and she just couldn't shake the feeling that she had to do something. _Anything_.

She ran her hands up and down her arms as she heard the elevator rushing up from deep down in the towers stomach.

Marilyn glanced over her shoulder like she expected Benny to appear, but there was nothing behind her expect for the unbearable emptiness. The elevator opened with a sigh and beckoned her in, and she stepped inside cautiously.

Each time the elevator dinged on its way up Marilyn flinched. Anxiety chewed at her lungs, and then the doors opened again and a rush of dusty air crept around her feet.

Marilyn lifted her hand and coughed into it as she stepped forward slowly. Old white couches now turned a light shade of beige sat in a large circle around the elevator. Large windows displayed the mountains that stretched miles ahead outside, and the last of the late evening sun dipped low between their slopes. It was decorated like it was meant to accommodate lots of people, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Marilyn stepped forward and traced a shape into the layer of dust on the bar.

Just as she lifted her finger a loud whoosh hit the air, and she realized that something was hurtling towards her from out of the darkness. Marilyn shrieked before ducking down and covering her head with both hands.

When nothing hit her Marilyn opened one eye cautiously, and hovering over her was a robot, beeping happily and moving around her head in circles.

"Who are you?" She asked as she stood up again.

The robot stilled in response.

"Were you stuck down here?" She questioned as her heart slowed and it bounced up in down in the air.

It hovered around her like it was glad to see her, like it had been waiting for her.

"Geez, you could've taken my head off." Marilyn scolded and the robot gaze a defensive chirp back.

There was a small plate on its side and she ran her hand over it tentatively.

"ED-E?" She asked, confusion drawing her lips into a thin line.

The robot jittered in the air.

"Is that supposed to be your name?" Marilyn stared at the eyebot like she was expecting an answer. She simply got another incomprehensible sound.

Marilyn noticed the moon start to rise out the window. She stole one last glance at the desolate room and began to head back to the elevator.

ED-E followed and Marilyn stopped. "You can't come with me." She told it sternly. She began to walk again and it continued to hover close behind her.

"What?" Marilyn asked and ED-E beeped a few times before turning away and zooming down the stairs of the lounge. It turned back at her and waited, like it wanted her to follow.

"I'm sorry, but I really need to go." She began and when she turned it zoomed toward her again, trying to block her pathway.

"Hey!" Marilyn cried but ED-E chirped at her just as angrily, and then began down the stairs again.

She huffed and glared at ED-E for a moment, but then began down the stairs after it. It zoomed away from her and Marilyn stuck a hand out in front of her as she followed.

"Wait, I can't see." She called to it as she followed its beeps. Her hand hit something smooth and cold and she realized it was a monitor, resembling one those armed robots stationed outside had.

Marilyn pulled her hand back as her eyes adjusted. The small floating bot hovered closely over her as it watched.

Upon closer inspection she realized it was a securitron. It was cold to the touch and dust covered its body.

ED-E beeped above her and Marilyn stared up at it.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked and it moved to hover over a mess of wires sticking out of the robots side.

Marilyn frowned. "I don't know how to fix it." She argued but ED-E didn't move.

She sighed and stepped closer. As she studied the cords Marilyn realized that they were simply unplugged. Whoever had turned him off may not have meant for it to be permanent. Marilyn could recognize the wires from a few magazines that her mother had left behind, and within a few minutes she had them back in place.

The face that had been blank before lit up and illuminated the space around Marilyn. A depiction of a man in a cowboy hat filled the screen with a sudden flash.

"Howdy partner!" It said happily and Marilyn jumped right out of her skin. She took a few apprehensive steps away from him as she stared.

"My names Victor, and might I say it's a pleasure to meetcha." He said happily and he rolled back and forth on his single wheel.

Marilyn continued to stare at him in disbelief. "What were you doing up here?" She asked.

"Well, waiting for you of course! Was starting to think you'd never show." Victor answered.

The eyebot chattered from above him and Victors screen blinked.

"Glad to see you waited to." He told ED-E a bit halfheartedly.

Marilyn shook her head. "You were waiting for me? How do you know me?"

"Your mother told me to keep an eye out for you. She said that you'd be along right quick." Victor told her.

Marilyn felt excitement flurry through her. "You know my mother?"

"Sure did, knew her for a long time. This here eyebot did too."

She stepped forward, "Do you know where she went? Do you know what happened to her?"

A whirring noise came from Victor, and he seemed to be trying to access something in his memory. But then the whirring stopped. "So, where are we headed?"

Marilyn tilted her head. "You didn't answer my question."

Victor was silent for a moment as if he was thinking. "I'm sorry to say it, but I can't quite recall what you're asking of me."

"What do you know about my mom?" Marilyn demanded and she glanced back to the elevator.

The screen blinked again. "…The memory seems to have escaped me." Victor answered apologetically. "So where are we headed?"

The elevator dinged sharply from behind Marilyn and she almost yelped aloud.

"No, no, no!" Marilyn cried as she rushed to the elevator, but there was already someone in it and she knew it had to be her father.

She needed to get back to her room and fast. It wouldn't be long before he noticed she was gone. Marilyn hit the call button repeatedly until she heard the elevator rushing toward her again.

She turned back to the two robots that were watching her expectantly. The absurdity of it all had yet to sink in and she wiped her sweaty palms against her shirt.

"Stay here, okay?" She pleaded to them both as she rushed into the elevator, but ED-E flew in just before the doors shut.

"You can't come with me!" Marilyn scolded it angrily.

The eyebot beeped defiantly and she bit her thumbnail hard. When the elevator doors opened Marilyn grabbed it and rushed to her room, hoping with every part of her being that her father wouldn't see her.

Benny's bedroom light was off, and when she peeked back out she could see his silhouette sitting in one of the living room chairs.

"Marilyn?" He called and Marilyn glared at the eyebot buzzing around her.

"Stay. Here. _Please_." She begged before she slipped nervously out of her room and toward her father.

Benny gazed at Marilyn as she sat down into the armchair across from him.

"What's is it?" He asked and Marilyn wrung her hands in her lap.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

He stared at her for another moment and Marilyn knew he could tell she was lying. It was never possible to hide things from his sharp eyes and constant harsh judgment.

Benny fiddled with his lighter and turned his gaze to the wall. His knuckles were red and he looked wrung out, like a tired king who had everything he wanted and wished it would all go away.

Marilyn glanced back to her room, ED-E hadn't followed her this time and she breathed out carefully.

"What happened to your hands?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could manage.

Benny didn't answer her as he lit a cigarette and flicked the ash to the floor. Somewhere in her mind she thought she could remember her mother dancing with him across that very same red carpet. She recalled it being an uncoordinated dance that looked anything but graceful, but it had left an uncharacteristic grin on his face as her mother held his shoulders. Marilyn wasn't sure if her mind had made the memory up, but by the way he glared at the carpet she had a feeling it was true.

A beep sounded out from her room and Marilyn's eyes widened.

Benny turned his dark gaze to Marilyn. "What was that?" He asked.

"I didn't hear anything." She answered cautiously and he leaned back in his chair, patiently. He was waiting for her to crack and tell whatever truth he knew she was withholding.

Marilyn stared at his battered knuckles and squirmed. "Mom liked this room, right?' She asked in a desperate plea to change the subject. Immediately she wished she hadn't said it.

Benny sighed. "Why are you always asking things like that? It's enough to make someone flip."

Marilyn's stomach clenched at the way his voice dropped whenever she came up, like she was some painful curse that he wanted no part of.

There was a crash from her bedroom and Marilyn winced. He was going to find it if she didn't quiet ED-E down and soon.

"I'll be right back." She murmured.

Marilyn stood and hurried to her room with her head low as Benny's eyes burned through her.

She fled into her room where ED-E was moving about in a panic. It turned at the sound of her footsteps, and the thin metal wires that jutted out behind it sent glasses and books plummeting to the ground.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" She hissed. ED-E perked up and rushed past her toward the elevator.

Marilyn tried to grab the eyebot before it could leave the confines of her room but it dodged her with ease. She turned to grasp for it again but she knocked right into Benny.

He caught her before she fell and then stared up at the eyebot, recognition glinting across his eyes.

"Oh for fucks sake, Marilyn. Where the hell did you find that old thing?" Benny sneered and ED-E stopped to hover beside the elevator.

"I- I just found it." She stammered nervously and Benny glared at her.

"Oh yeah? Just found it where? On one of the floors I told you to stay out of?" He demanded and she looked to ED-E and then down at her feet.

"I'm sorry." Marilyn began. He let her go glared at ED-E.

"I was just curious and… I think maybe he knew my mom."

Benny shook his head. "Now you listen, and listen good. This thing's got no business being around you. I'm shutting it off."

"Wait! Don't!" Marilyn cried and she ran and stood between them. "He might have known my mom!" She cried and Benny shook his head.

"Kid, it ain't got nothing to tell to you, it's a hunk of metal."

"But he knew my mom!" Marilyn argued.

"Who gives a cap if it knew your mom? I knew your mom too, doesn't make me any more special." Benny argued.

Marilyn began to cry and she grabbed Benny's arm hard. "Don't touch him!" She yelled. Her throat burned and her heart slammed against her ribs as tears that she tried to contain flooded her eyes.

Benny stilled at the sight of her tears, and after a long pause he moved her hand from his arm.

"Alright kid, don't cry okay? Just… be as riled up as you want… but stop doing that." He ran a tired hand over his face.

ED-E darted past them and into Marilyn's room, and she wrapped her arms around her sides as she whimpered.

Benny rubbed his neck and they stood in uncomfortable silence. She could see some tiny amount of remorse in his eyes, maybe care, but then she watched him steel himself. He re-adjusted his suit and lit another cigarette.

"It's out of here tomorrow." He ordered evenly and he blew out a long, exhausted stream of smoke. "And it don't matter what your reasons are. I say stay out of those rooms, you stay out."

Marilyn sniffled and looked away.

"…Okay." She answered and when the next tear fell she wiped it away.

Benny sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He gazed at Marilyn as he tried to explain. "Look, your mother… she had a hard time-"

His voice cut out for a moment and he took in a sharp breath. "Sometimes things just end bad."

Marilyn refused to look at him, even on good days she couldn't.

"Sometimes there are things that you stay out of, things that you leave alone. This is one of those things. Get it?" Benny asked.

Marilyn felt the cigarette smoke choke her as he waited for her to respond. She knew he wouldn't leave until she did, so she forced herself to nod slowly.

Benny opened his mouth to speak again, but then seemed to think better of it. He went to his room and shut the door behind him and left Marilyn alone in the hallway.

She hissed in a raspy breath as the tears started the slow. Carefully she went back to her room where the eyebot and the ominous poster were waiting for her.

Marilyn sat down on her bed and hid her face in between her knees. She could hear ED-E beeping above her, the wind outside, the crows beating their wings.

She could feel those eyes on her, and with a small intake of breath she raised her head and looked back.


	3. Chapter 3

Marilyn sat still on her bed until she was sure her father was gone, and as soon as the elevator doors closed she rushed to the billiard room where she knew her mother's old science magazines were kept. ED-E beeped curiously behind her as Marilyn tucked the magazines tight under her arm and she almost hit her head against its round metal frame when she looked up.

"Let's go." She whispered and it followed close behind her as she slipped into the now vacant elevator.

Marilyn held the magazines close against her chest as her pulse beat in her ears. She waited as it took her back down through the empty tower where she knew Victor would be waiting. ED-E chirped at her quizzically and Marilyn set her shoulders before stepping out of the elevator and heading straight for Victor, who was still waiting patiently where she had left him.

"Howdy!" Victor greeted and Marilyn dropped the magazines between them.

"Victor-" She began.

"Where are we headed?" Victor interrupted cheerfully.

"Victor, listen to me." Marilyn cut in. There wasn't much time and she felt her patience run thinner than it had before.

"Where is my mother?" She demanded.

She heard a whirring behind Victor's bright projected face and he was silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry to say I can't help you there." He answered tentatively.

Marilyn crossed her arms over her narrow frame. "How did you know her?"

Victor whirred again. "I'll bet she's around here somewhere, why don't we go searchin' for her? I'm sure you'll find her right quick."

She sighed and picked up a magazine. Quickly she flipped it open to the page she had bookmarked on restoring a robots blocked memory the day before.

Marilyn pushed her long hair behind her ears and moved around Victor so she could see his control panel. With shaky hands she followed the instructions on the magazine and pushed the buttons there, testing difference sequences until Victor blinked twice and a loud buzzing came from within him.

"Her name was Joanne, and I met her in the year twenty-two eighty-one."

Marilyn's breath caught in her throat and her heart soared.

"Jo- Anne…" Marilyn murmured to herself, testing the way the word felt. She rolled back and forth of her heels as she tried the word again. "Jo-Anne…"

Her heart stretched as the name bumped through her mind. The new information was tugging at her and making her feel dizzy and overwhelmed. ED-E beeped happily beside her and bounced joyfully in the air.

Marilyn smiled slightly as hope tingled across her skin. "Do you know where my mother is?"

Victor whirred again, "She never told me where she was going, just that I should wait here for you."

"Are you sure?" Marilyn pushed hopefully. "Is there anything at all you remember?"

"That's all I got partner, I'm real sorry."

Marilyn slumped down into a nearby seat and blinked away her frustrated tears.

"What was she like?" She asked once her anger and melancholy had subsided a bit.

"Well she was a real go-getter. She and her pal Cass made quiet a ruckus in the Mojave."

"Cass?" Marilyn asked, as she had never heard anyone mention that name before. "Who's Cass?"

"Cass was her partner, they traveled together everywhere. She left the Strip right after Joanne did."

Marilyn bit the inside of her cheek and jiggled her foot. "Where is Cass now?"

"I can't say I know." Victor answered. "She never stayed in one place for long. I reckon she took up caravanning again."

"How did you meet my mother?" She asked meekly, the lack of information she had earned was making her feel quite useless.

"Well I helped her out when she was in need of a hand."

Marilyn leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. "She needed a hand? What did she need from you?"

"When I found her I took her straight to the Doc, but I didn't bet she'd pull through."

Marilyn blinked. "Pull through?"

"It's a real miracle she was still kicking, but it's hard to say if she was ever the same again." Victor continued.

"The same from what?" Marilyn asked with a frown.

"The gunshot of course." Victor responded pointedly. "That scoundrel Benny shot her right in the head, left her to die in that grave."

Victors voice quieted in her mind as she stared at him and swallowed.

"My dad shot her?" Marilyn said so quietly that she barely heard herself ask the question.

"Real troublemaker that one, knew as soon as I laid eyes on him."

"But why? Why would he do that?" She asked. Her limbs were growing heavier as the seconds continued to tick by.

"Benny wanted to seize control of the Strip, and Joanne had the key. He took it from her possession, but she got it back from him eventually."

"He- he wouldn't do that." Marilyn began hopelessly. Her stomach sank as she began to realize that maybe he would.

"Oh but he did," Victor cut in. "It's common knowledge, a real piece of history now. Mosey out to the Strip and anyone will give you the same story."

Marilyn could do nothing but stare for a moment.

"You… you're sure?" She finally asked.

"He was notorious for that kind of treachery." Victor said with a purposeful raise of his metal arm. "From what I hear he's done far worse before."

The ringing in Marilyn's ears remained as she slumped against the scratchy chair she sat in.

Images flashed in Marilyn's head of a woman lying in a grave as blood drained from her shattered head. She imagined her father standing over her body and laughing with dark, cold eyes as the woman's hair fanned out around her in a halo that turned crimson.

She didn't hear Victor as he spoke again, she didn't even hear ED-E beep at her repeatedly as she stood and walked to the elevator. ED-E tried to follow her, but she pressed the button for the suites and was gone before he could fly through the doors.

When Marilyn stepped out of the elevator the entire floor felt much smaller than it had before, and every wall seemed to pull itself closer to her with each step she took. The very fibers of the room were crawling toward her to crush her into dust, but she did nothing to fight the feeling as she threw herself into one of the old chairs in the billiard room.

She waited for a long time, and when her father finally entered the room she dug her nails into her palm and met his eyes.

"Why are you eyeballing me?" Benny asked when she continued to stare at him in silence. He slumped down in the chair across from her and drank strong smelling liquor from a sparkling glass.

Marilyn could tell he was having one of his bad days where his need for space was high and his fuse burned low, but Marilyn couldn't find it in herself to speak carefully.

"It's true isn't it? You shot mom." She accused, her words were sharp and full of disdain.

He looked up from his glass slowly, surprise danced within his eyes as he took another long drink.

"Who told you that?" He asked evenly. His words attempted to feign a question but their sharpness revealed the order behind them.

"You shot my mother." Marilyn repeated.

"Yeah? Says who? One of the drunks on the Strip?" He asked. Benny slammed his glass down hard on the nearby table and Marilyn tensed involuntarily.

"Stop believing every fib you hear, kid. You'll never survive in this world being so damn gullible."

Marilyn clenched her jaw until her muscles buzzed with pain. Her breath came in short, restrained puffs as she glowered at him.

"That's why she left isn't it?" She demanded.

"You're a class act. You know that? A real class act." Benny scoffed as he refused to meet her eyes.

"I asked you a question."

"Let it go, kid." Benny warned, his voice lowering dangerously.

"Tell me the truth!" Marilyn yelled.

"I said let it go." He advised her one last time. Benny's eyes turned just as dark as she had imagined them before when he stood over her mother.

Marilyn stood up so abruptly that her hand knocked against Benny's glass sitting on the table, and it shattered on the floor with a sobering crash. Mismatched shards of glass skipped across the worn red floor and littered the space around Benny's feet.

The dam broke, and Marilyn ignored his warning.

"It's your fault! She left because you hurt her!" Marilyn cried.

Benny's eye lit with fury and he sat forward abruptly. "Don't you dare tell me it was my fault!" He boomed.

"You're a monster!" She yelled, her blood rushing from her head to her toes with loud pulsing beats.

"I'm a monster?" Benny shouted with wild and infuriated eyes.

He stood and jabbed a sharp finger at Marilyn's trembling form.

"I got news for you kid, she was no angel either. She was no better than me!" He roared.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and Marilyn clenched her fists. "Stop it!"

"She was more of a monster than I ever was, cutting anyone's throat to get her way. Couldn't trust her then and you couldn't trust her now!"

Marilyn shook her head and stepped away until she felt her back collide with the corner of the counter. It dug into her side but she was numb to the stab as her chest heaved and her brain pulsed.

"Shut up!" She cried as tears flooded down her cheeks.

He stood up and kicked the small pieces of glass at his feet. They glittered in the light as they flew and hit the wall.

"She left me without a word! She could have stayed here but she chose to leave, she cut and ran and she'd do it again. I was left all alone with you and I'm the one that's still here, not her, so don't you go judging me!"

Marilyn sobbed and held her hands over her ears. "I hate you!"

Benny didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Marilyn had struck his most vulnerable nerve. "She was crazy, and she was always crazy! It wasn't my fault she kept getting worse!"

Marilyn pressed her palms tighter and tighter against her head until the pressure made her skull feel like it may burst.

"Stop!" She yelled as she backed up until she felt her spine grate against the wall. Marilyn slid down to the floor and folded her legs in front of her. She squeezed her eyes tight and let out a scream.

From behind her closed eyes she could see the woman in her mind again. She watched blood drip from the hole in her head as she beat her fists against a wall, her pale skin turning red as she screamed with her.

* * *

When she finally opened her eyes again the yelling was over. Benny was gone and the room was empty.

Marilyn stared at the vacant chairs, the dusty books that lay on their sides, and the splintered glass that littered the floor. When she pushed herself onto her knees the fragments dug into her palms, but she ignored the pain and made her way to the elevator.

The room to Benny's door was closed, and it remained that way even when she pressed the button and called the elevator to her.

When she returned to Victor and ED-E they were already waiting for her beside the door.

"Where are we headed?" Victor asked again.

Marilyn rubbed her swollen eyes and heaved in a shaky breath.

"You said Cass is a caravanner?" She asked softly.

"That's what she planned to do after your mother disappeared. Although it's been at least twelve years since I've seen her in these parts." Victor answered dutifully.

Marilyn sniffled and rubbed at her tear stained cheeks. ED-E bumped against her head and she patted it sadly.

"Would you know where to find her?" Marilyn questioned and Victor whirred softly.

"We'd have to do a bit of asking around, she's most likely an independent caravan."

Marilyn frowned. "Is that a no?"

"It shouldn't be too hard, besides I'm here to help you!"

She gazed out the large windows and stared at the towering mountains that stretched up to meet the moon, and she could feel her anxiety building by the second. Marilyn looked down at her feet.

"I need you to help me get to her." Marilyn said as she wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"I can't stay here anymore, I can't live with him another day."

"Then let's get on the road!" Victor exclaimed and after a few seconds of silence Marilyn couldn't help but laugh colorlessly.

As the robots followed Marilyn to the elevator she glanced at the posters that hung from the walls and she felt a shiver down her spine.

She could feel their still eyes following her to the door, and she continued to feel them long after she exited the Strip.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much to drasticninja for the favorite, and to Lord Of Memory for the follow and the favorite :)


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